The Sparkle of Romance: Gemstones and their Histories
Amber & Writer's Block

by Darcy Carson

The following article of part of a year-long monthly column on gemstones and their histories. This article first appeared in the Dec. '05 issue of Passionate Papers, Eastside RWA's newsletter.(Seattle-area) Permission to use with proper credits.

Amber is one of the first substances used by man for decoration. Amber is the fossilized resin of ancient trees. It is known to mineralogists as succinite, from the Latin succinum, which mean amber. Amber can range in color from dark brown to a light almost clear lemon yellow. Most amber that has been used in jewelry is from the region of the Baltic Sea or the Dominican Republic.

The bulk of amber in the world is found in the Baltic region of Poland and Russia. It has been known to wash up on the coasts of England, Norway and Denmark. Other localities include the Dominican Republic, Mexico, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Canada and the USA.

Amber is known to clean the environment in which it rests. When wearing, it brings purification of mind, body and spirit . . . which brings me to the writing part of this article-erasing writer's block. There are times when writer's block brings a story or article to a screeching halt. How do you overcome the problem and begin writing again?

Here are four tips that might help.

1) Make a simple outline of the point you want to cover. This will provide organization and structure. It will also help divide the scene or story into smaller, more manageable chunks.

2) Don't waste time trying to write the perfect scene. Just get some words down on paper or your computer screen. In other words, do the rough draft first.

3) Start in the middle.

4) Give yourself time to write. If you feel rushed, you may end up feeling pressured and that can lead to writer's block. Set aside time to write when you won't have as many interruptions.

Writer's block brings us right back to amber because it activates unconditional love in mankind, stimulates the intellect and opens the crown chakra. It is also a symbol of renewed marriage vows.

A Lithuanian amber myth tells about the story of lost love. Perkunas, God of Thunder, was the father God and his daughter was Jurate, a mermaid who lived in an amber palace in the Baltic. One day a fisherman named Kastytis would cast his nets to catch fish from Jurate's kingdom. The goddess sent her mermaids to warn him to stop fishing in her domain. He did not stop, so Jurate went herself to demand he stop.

Once she saw him she fell in love and brought him back to her amber palace. Perkunas, knowing Jurate was promised to Patrimpas, God of Water, was angered to find his daughter in love with a mortal. Perkunas destroyed the amber palace with a bolt of lightning to kill her mortal lover. Her palace was destroyed and Jurate was chained to the ruins for eternity. When storms in the Baltic stir the sea, fragments from the amber palace wash up on shore. Pieces in the shape of tears are particularly treasured, as they are the tears from the grieving goddess, as she weeps tears of amber for her tragic love.

Amber has a pine aroma when heated, and the ancient Germans used amber and burned it as incense. They called it bernstein, or "burn stone." It is a poor conductor of heat. It feels warm when briskly rubbed with sheep skin or a wool cloth. Amber is known to attract dust, feathers, straw and small pieces of paper (which is thought to have lead to the discovery of static electricity).

Amber has helped track ancient trade routes, and is documented in literature and the mythology of many pre-Christian cultures. It was referred to as "northern gold".

Wear amber to attract warm, loyal, and generous people into your life; or carry amber on your person to lend logic or wit to a difficult situation. Mixed with turquoise, amber is reminiscent of the sun in the sky. This combination of energies may be used said to quiet the mind and calm the nervous system.

Some cultures believe amber has healing abilities because it has electrical properties when rubbed with a cloth, attracting lint/dust. It also has an aroma, and is warm to the touch. The Greek word "electron" means amber. This is where the word "electricity" comes from.

Baltic amber is thought to have healing properties due to its high succinic acid content. Of all types of amber, Baltic amber contains the most succinic acid, which makes it the most valued. Another reason amber is thought to have healing properties is due to the fact that some samples contain the essence of life (DNA material), dating back millions of years.

It is believed that amber facilitates and transmits healing energy and psychic activity. It is said that amber attracts spiritual forces. Amber is known to facilitate family bonding. Nice for writers who seem to work alone a lot! Since it helps receive and promotes success (and good fortune), it is another reason to associate it with beating writer's block. Again, because it is associated with promoting humor and adaptability, I associate it with writing and beating writer's block.

Promotes humor and adaptability.

Helps with judicial matters.

Heightens instincts.

Enhances artistic qualities.

Helps overcome obstacles.

Relieves grief and melancholy.

Brings greater awareness of inner self.

Provides strength and conveys harmony.

Legend says that Amber was believed to provide magicians and sorcerers with special enhanced powers.

Helps remove energy blockages, strengthens physical body. Excellent for enhancing altered states of consciousness. All of these attributes help eliminate writer's block.

Because writers have a various ways of writing, a variety of reasons can cause writer's block. When you are blocked, consider the causes and some of the following suggestions that sound promising:

Experiment - Write in different places, at different times, and with different writing instruments.

Freewrite - Choose one sentence in a paragraph and write a paragraph about it. Then choose one sentence from that paragraph and do it again.

Cluster - Choose key words and ideas; then write associated ideas and words in clusters around them. This process often forms new ideas.

Be flexible -- Be willing to throw out sections of text that are causing problems or just don't work.

Follow a routine -- Follow a routine to get into the writing mood. Try activities like wearing comfortable clothing, using a certain pen, or listening to a particular CD or type of music.

Move -- Physically move around, stretch, or walk.

Take a break -- Get a snack or drink, talk to someone, or just relax for five minutes before starting to write again.

Concentrate -- Focus on a different section or aspect of your paper. This sometimes leads to new insights in problem areas, while allowing you to get work done on another section.

Re-read -- Read a printed draft of the paper and jot down ideas while reading.

Relax! -- The more you worry, the harder it gets to think clearly.

Amber appears to have been picked up as long ago as Palaeolithic time - e.g., amber was found in the Gough's Cave archaeological site in Cheddar Gorge, Somerset England. By Mesolithic time (8,000-6,000 B.C.), amber was fashioned into amulets, beads, and heads of bears and elks (and worn as pendants in what is now Denmark).

Consequently, amber has often been referred to as the `golden gem of the ages' and was sought by ancient Stone Age sun worshipers. Amber has widely been associated with tears -- tears of the gods, tears of birds, tears from the sun and, naturally, tears from trees.

Today, just like ages ago, amber is one of the most highly valued and fashionable precious stones in the world. So enjoy. And Write.

Darcy Carson is the founder of Eastside RWA. Author of an award winning romantic comedy "The Trouble with Mother." She is currently at work on two paranormal romances.

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